@c -*-texinfo-*-@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.@setfilename ../info/help@node Documentation, Files, Modes, Top@chapter Documentation@cindex documentation strings GNU Emacs Lisp has convenient on-line help facilities, most of whichderive their information from the documentation strings associated withfunctions and variables. This chapter describes how to write gooddocumentation strings for your Lisp programs, as well as how to writeprograms to access documentation. Note that the documentation strings for Emacs are not the same thingas the Emacs manual. Manuals have their own source files, written inthe Texinfo language; documentation strings are specified in thedefinitions of the functions and variables they apply to. A collectionof documentation strings is not sufficient as a manual because a goodmanual is not organized in that fashion; it is organized in terms oftopics of discussion.@menu* Documentation Basics:: Good style for doc strings. Where to put them. How Emacs stores them.* Accessing Documentation:: How Lisp programs can access doc strings.* Keys in Documentation:: Substituting current key bindings.* Describing Characters:: Making printable descriptions of non-printing characters and key sequences.* Help Functions:: Subroutines used by Emacs help facilities.@end menu@node Documentation Basics@comment node-name, next, previous, up@section Documentation Basics@cindex documentation conventions@cindex writing a documentation string@cindex string, writing a doc string A documentation string is written using the Lisp syntax for strings,with double-quote characters surrounding the text of the string. Thisis because it really is a Lisp string object. The string serves asdocumentation when it is written in the proper place in the definitionof a function or variable. In a function definition, the documentationstring follows the argument list. In a variable definition, thedocumentation string follows the initial value of the variable. When you write a documentation string, make the first line a completesentence (or two complete sentences) since some commands, such as@code{apropos}, show only the first line of a multi-line documentationstring. Also, you should not indent the second line of a documentationstring, if you have one, because that looks odd when you use @kbd{C-h f}(@code{describe-function}) or @kbd{C-h v} (@code{describe-variable}).@xref{Documentation Tips}. Documentation strings may contain several special substrings, whichstand for key bindings to be looked up in the current keymaps when thedocumentation is displayed. This allows documentation strings to referto the keys for related commands and be accurate even when a userrearranges the key bindings. (@xref{Accessing Documentation}.) Within the Lisp world, a documentation string accessible through thefunction or variable that it describes:@itemize @bullet@itemThe documentation for a function is stored in the function definitionitself (@pxref{Lambda Expressions}). The function@code{documentation} knows how to extract it.@item@kindex variable-documentationThe documentation for a variable is stored in the variable's propertylist under the property name @code{variable-documentation}. Thefunction @code{documentation-property} knows how to extract it.@end itemize@cindex @file{DOC} (documentation) file@cindex @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}@cindex @file{etc/DOC-@var{version}}To save space, the documentation for preloaded functions and variables(including primitive functions and autoloaded functions) is stored inthe file @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}. The documentation forfunctions and variables loaded during the Emacs session frombyte-compiled files is stored in those files (@pxref{Docs andCompilation}).The data structure inside Emacs has an integer offset into the file, ora list containing a string and an integer, in place of the documentationstring. The functions @code{documentation} and@code{documentation-property} use that information to read thedocumentation from the appropriate file; this is transparent to theuser. For information on the uses of documentation strings, see @ref{Help, ,Help, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.@c Wordy to prevent overfull hbox. --rjc 15mar92 The @file{emacs/lib-src} directory contains two utilities that you canuse to print nice-looking hardcopy for the file@file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}. These are @file{sorted-doc.c} and@file{digest-doc.c}.@node Accessing Documentation@section Access to Documentation Strings@defun documentation-property symbol property &optional verbatimThis function returns the documentation string that is recorded@var{symbol}'s property list under property @var{property}. Itretrieves the text from a file if necessary, and runs@code{substitute-command-keys} to substitute actual key bindings. (Thissubstitution is not done if @var{verbatim} is non-@code{nil}; the@var{verbatim} argument exists only as of Emacs 19.)@smallexample@group(documentation-property 'command-line-processed 'variable-documentation) @result{} "t once command line has been processed"@end group@group(symbol-plist 'command-line-processed) @result{} (variable-documentation 188902)@end group@end smallexample@end defun@defun documentation function &optional verbatimThis function returns the documentation string of @var{function}. Itreads the text from a file if necessary. Then (unless @var{verbatim} isnon-@code{nil}) it calls @code{substitute-command-keys}, to return avalue containing the actual (current) key bindings.The function @code{documentation} signals a @code{void-function} errorif @var{function} has no function definition. However, it is ok ifthe function definition has no documentation string. In that case,@code{documentation} returns @code{nil}.@end defun@c Wordy to prevent overfull hboxes. --rjc 15mar92Here is an example of using the two functions, @code{documentation} and@code{documentation-property}, to display the documentation strings forseveral symbols in a @samp{*Help*} buffer.@smallexample@group(defun describe-symbols (pattern) "Describe the Emacs Lisp symbols matching PATTERN.All symbols that have PATTERN in their name are describedin the `*Help*' buffer." (interactive "sDescribe symbols matching: ") (let ((describe-func (function (lambda (s)@end group@group ;; @r{Print description of symbol.} (if (fboundp s) ; @r{It is a function.} (princ (format "%s\t%s\n%s\n\n" s (if (commandp s) (let ((keys (where-is-internal s))) (if keys (concat "Keys: " (mapconcat 'key-description keys " ")) "Keys: none")) "Function")@end group@group (or (documentation s) "not documented")))) (if (boundp s) ; @r{It is a variable.}@end group@group (princ (format "%s\t%s\n%s\n\n" s (if (user-variable-p s) "Option " "Variable")@end group@group (or (documentation-property s 'variable-documentation) "not documented"))))))) sym-list)@end group@group ;; @r{Build a list of symbols that match pattern.} (mapatoms (function (lambda (sym) (if (string-match pattern (symbol-name sym)) (setq sym-list (cons sym sym-list))))))@end group@group ;; @r{Display the data.} (with-output-to-temp-buffer "*Help*" (mapcar describe-func (sort sym-list 'string<)) (print-help-return-message))))@end group@end smallexample The @code{describe-symbols} function works like @code{apropos},but provides more information.@smallexample@group(describe-symbols "goal")---------- Buffer: *Help* ----------goal-column Option *Semipermanent goal column for vertical motion, as set by @dots{}@end group@c Do not blithely break or fill these lines.@c That makes them incorrect.@groupset-goal-column Command: C-x C-nSet the current horizontal position as a goal for C-n and C-p.@end group@c DO NOT put a blank line here! That is factually inaccurate!@groupThose commands will move to this position in the line moved torather than trying to keep the same horizontal position.With a non-nil argument, clears out the goal columnso that C-n and C-p resume vertical motion.The goal column is stored in the variable `goal-column'.@end group@grouptemporary-goal-column VariableCurrent goal column for vertical motion.It is the column where point wasat the start of current run of vertical motion commands.When the `track-eol' feature is doing its job, the value is 9999.---------- Buffer: *Help* ----------@end group@end smallexample@defun Snarf-documentation filename This function is used only during Emacs initialization, just beforethe runnable Emacs is dumped. It finds the file offsets of thedocumentation strings stored in the file @var{filename}, and recordsthem in the in-core function definitions and variable property lists inplace of the actual strings. @xref{Building Emacs}. Emacs finds the file @var{filename} in the @file{emacs/etc} directory.When the dumped Emacs is later executed, the same file is found in thedirectory @code{doc-directory}. Usually @var{filename} is@code{"DOC-@var{version}"}.@end defun@c Emacs 19 feature@defvar doc-directoryThis variable holds the name of the directory which should contion thefile @code{"DOC-@var{version}"} that contains documentation strings forbuilt-in and preloaded functions and variables.In most cases, this is the same as @code{data-directory}. They may bedifferent when you run Emacs from the directory where you built it,without actually installing it. See @code{data-directory} in @ref{HelpFunctions}.In older Emacs versions, @code{exec-directory} was used for this.@end defvar@node Keys in Documentation@section Substituting Key Bindings in Documentation@cindex documentation, keys in@cindex keys in documentation strings@cindex substituting keys in documentation When documentation strings refer to key sequences, they should use thecurrent, actual key bindings. They can do so using certain special textsequences described below. Accessing documentation strings in the usualway substitutes current key binding information for these specialsequences. This works by calling @code{substitute-command-keys}. Youcan also call that function yourself. Here is a list of the special sequences and what they mean:@table @code@item \[@var{command}]stands for a key sequence that will invoke @var{command}, or @samp{M-x@var{command}} if @var{command} has no key bindings.@item \@{@var{mapvar}@} stands for a summary of the value of @var{mapvar}, which should be akeymap. The summary is made by @code{describe-bindings}.@item \<@var{mapvar}> stands for no text itself. It is used for a side effect: it specifies@var{mapvar} as the keymap for any following @samp{\[@var{command}]}sequences in this documentation string.@item \=quotes the following character and is discarded; thus, @samp{\=\[} puts@samp{\[} into the output, and @samp{\=\=} puts @samp{\=} into theoutput.@end table@strong{Please note:} Each @samp{\} must be doubled when written in astring in Emacs Lisp.@defun substitute-command-keys stringThis function scans @var{string} for the above special sequences andreplaces them by what they stand for, returning the result as a string.This permits display of documentation that refers accurately to theuser's own customized key bindings.@end defun Here are examples of the special sequences:@smallexample@group(substitute-command-keys "To abort recursive edit, type: \\[abort-recursive-edit]")@result{} "To abort recursive edit, type: C-]"@end group@group(substitute-command-keys "The keys that are defined for the minibuffer here are: \\@{minibuffer-local-must-match-map@}")@result{} "The keys that are defined for the minibuffer here are:@end group? minibuffer-completion-helpSPC minibuffer-complete-wordTAB minibuffer-completeLFD minibuffer-complete-and-exitRET minibuffer-complete-and-exitC-g abort-recursive-edit"@group(substitute-command-keys "To abort a recursive edit from the minibuffer, type\\\<minibuffer-local-must-match-map>\\[abort-recursive-edit].")@result{} "To abort a recursive edit from the minibuffer, type C-g."@end group@end smallexample@node Describing Characters@section Describing Characters for Help Messages These functions convert events, key sequences or characters to textualdescriptions. These descriptions are useful for including arbitrarytext characters or key sequences in messages, because they convertnon-printing and whitespace characters to sequences of printingcharacters. The description of a non-whitespace printing character isthe character itself.@defun key-description sequence@cindex Emacs event standard notationThis function returns a string containing the Emacs standard notationfor the input events in @var{sequence}. The argument @var{sequence} maybe a string, vector or list. @xref{Input Events}, for more informationabout valid events. See also the examples for@code{single-key-description}, below.@end defun@defun single-key-description event@cindex event printing@cindex character printing@cindex control character printing@cindex meta character printingThis function returns a string describing @var{event} in the standardEmacs notation for keyboard input. A normal printing character appearsas itself, but a control character turns into a string starting with@samp{C-}, a meta character turns into a string starting with @samp{M-},and space, linefeed, etc.@: appear as @samp{SPC}, @samp{LFD}, etc. Afunction key symbol appears as itself. An event that is a list appearsas the name of the symbol in the @sc{car} of the list.@smallexample@group(single-key-description ?\C-x) @result{} "C-x"@end group@group(key-description "\C-x \M-y \n \t \r \f123") @result{} "C-x SPC M-y SPC LFD SPC TAB SPC RET SPC C-l 1 2 3"@end group@group(single-key-description 'C-mouse-1) @result{} "C-mouse-1"@end group@end smallexample@end defun@defun text-char-description characterThis function returns a string describing @var{character} in thestandard Emacs notation for characters that appear in text---like@code{single-key-description}, except that control characters arerepresented with a leading caret (which is how control characters inEmacs buffers are usually displayed).@smallexample@group(text-char-description ?\C-c) @result{} "^C"@end group@group(text-char-description ?\M-m) @result{} "M-m"@end group@group(text-char-description ?\C-\M-m) @result{} "M-^M"@end group@end smallexample@end defun@node Help Functions@section Help Functions Emacs provides a variety of on-line help functions, all accessible tothe user as subcommands of the prefix @kbd{C-h}. For more informationabout them, see @ref{Help, , Help, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. Herewe describe some program-level interfaces to the same information.@deffn Command apropos regexp &optional do-all predicateThis function finds all symbols whose names contain a match for theregular expression @var{regexp}, and returns a list of them(@pxref{Regular Expressions}). It also displays the symbols in a buffernamed @samp{*Help*}, each with a one-line description.@c Emacs 19 featureIf @var{do-all} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{apropos} also showskey bindings for the functions that are found.If @var{predicate} is non-@code{nil}, it should be a function to becalled on each symbol that has matched @var{regexp}. Only symbols forwhich @var{predicate} returns a non-@code{nil} value are listed ordisplayed.In the first of the following examples, @code{apropos} finds all thesymbols with names containing @samp{exec}. In the second example, itfinds and returns only those symbols that are also commands.(We don't show the output that results in the @samp{*Help*} buffer.)@smallexample@group(apropos "exec") @result{} (Buffer-menu-execute command-execute exec-directory exec-path execute-extended-command execute-kbd-macro executing-kbd-macro executing-macro)@end group@group(apropos "exec" nil 'commandp) @result{} (Buffer-menu-execute execute-extended-command)@end group@ignore@group---------- Buffer: *Help* ----------Buffer-menu-execute Function: Save and/or delete buffers marked with M-x Buffer-menu-save or M-x Buffer-menu-delete commands.execute-extended-command ESC x Function: Read function name, then read its arguments and call it.---------- Buffer: *Help* ----------@end group@end ignore@end smallexampleThe command @kbd{C-h a} (@code{command-apropos}) calls @code{apropos},but specifies a @var{predicate} to restrict the output to symbols thatare commands. The call to @code{apropos} looks like this:@smallexample(apropos string t 'commandp)@end smallexample@end deffn@c Emacs 19 feature@deffn Command super-apropos regexp &optional do-allThis function differs from @code{apropos} in that it searchesdocumentation strings as well as symbol names for matches for@var{regexp}. By default, it searches the documentation strings onlyfor preloaded functions and variables. If @var{do-all} isnon-@code{nil}, it scans the names and documentation strings of allfunctions and variables.@end deffn@defvar help-mapThe value of this variable is a local keymap for characters following theHelp key, @kbd{C-h}.@end defvar@deffn {Prefix Command} help-commandThis symbol is not a function; its function definition is actually thekeymap known as @code{help-map}. It is defined in @file{help.el} asfollows:@smallexample@group(define-key global-map "\C-h" 'help-command)(fset 'help-command help-map)@end group@end smallexample@end deffn@defun print-help-return-message &optional functionThis function builds a string that explains how to restore the previousstate of the windows after a help command. After building the message,it applies @var{function} to it if @var{function} is non-@code{nil}.Otherwise it calls @code{message} to display it in the echo area.This function expects to be called inside a@code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} special form, and expects@code{standard-output} to have the value bound by that special form.For an example of its use, see the long example in @ref{AccessingDocumentation}.@end defun@defvar help-charThe value of this variable is the help character---the character thatEmacs recognizes as meaning Help. By default, it is 8, which is@kbd{C-h}. When Emacs reads this character, if @code{help-form} isnon-@code{nil} Lisp expression, it evaluates that expression, anddisplays the result in a window if it is a string.Usually the value of @code{help-form}'s value is @code{nil}. Then thehelp character has no special meaning at the level of command input, andit becomes part of a key sequence in the normal way. The standard keybinding of @kbd{C-h} is a prefix key for several general-purpose helpfeatures.The help character is special after prefix keys, too. If it has nobinding as a subcommand of the prefix key, it runs@code{describe-prefix-bindings}, which displays a list of all thesubcommands of the prefix key.@end defvar@defvar help-formIf this variable is non-@code{nil}, its value is a form to evaluatewhenever the character @code{help-char} is read. If evaluating the formproduces a string, that string is displayed.A command that calls @code{read-event} or @code{read-char} probablyshould bind @code{help-form} to a non-@code{nil} expression while itdoes input. (The exception is when @kbd{C-h} is meaningful input.)Evaluating this expression should result in a string that explains whatthe input is for and how to enter it properly.Entry to the minibuffer binds this variable to the value of@code{minibuffer-help-form} (@pxref{Minibuffer Misc}).@end defvar@defvar prefix-help-commandThis variable holds a function to print help for a prefix character.The function is called when the user types a prefix key followed by thehelp character, and the help character has no binding after that prefix.The variable's default value is @code{describe-prefix-bindings}.@end defvar@defun describe-prefix-bindingsThis function calls @code{describe-bindings} to display a list of allthe subcommands of the prefix key of the most recent key sequence. Theprefix described consists of all but the last event of that keysequence. (The last event is, presumably, the help character.)@end defun The following two functions are found in the library @file{helper}.They are for modes that want to provide help without relinquishingcontrol, such as the ``electric'' modes. You must load that librarywith @code{(require 'helper)} in order to use them. Their names beginwith @samp{Helper} to distinguish them from the ordinary help functions.@deffn Command Helper-describe-bindingsThis command pops up a window displaying a help buffer containing alisting of all of the key bindings from both the local and global keymaps.It works by calling @code{describe-bindings}.@end deffn@deffn Command Helper-helpThis command provides help for the current mode. It prompts the userin the minibuffer with the message @samp{Help (Type ? for furtheroptions)}, and then provides assistance in finding out what the keybindings are, and what the mode is intended for. It returns @code{nil}.This can be customized by changing the map @code{Helper-help-map}.@end deffn@c Emacs 19 feature@defvar data-directoryThis variable holds the name of the directory in which Emacs findscertain documentation and text files that come with Emacs. In olderEmacs versions, @code{exec-directory} was used for this.@end defvar@c Emacs 19 feature@defmac make-help-screen fname help-line help-text help-mapThis macro defines a help command named @var{fname} that acts like a prefix key that shows a list of the subcommands it offers.When invoked, @var{fname} displays @var{help-text} in a window, thenreads and executes a key sequence according to @var{help-map}. Thestring @var{help-text} should describe the bindings available in@var{help-map}.The command @var{fname} is defined to handle a few events itself, byscrolling the display of @var{help-text}. When @var{fname} reads one ofthose special events, it does the scrolling and then reads anotherevent. When it reads an event that is not one of those few, and whichhas a binding in @var{help-map}, it executes that key's binding andthen returns.The argument @var{help-line} should be a single-line summary of thealternatives in @var{help-map}. In the current version of Emacs, thisargument is used only if you set the option @code{three-step-help} to@code{t}.@end defmac@defopt three-step-helpIf this variable is non-@code{nil}, commands defined with@code{make-help-screen} display their @var{help-line} strings in theecho area at first, and display the longer @var{help-text} strings onlyif the user types the help character again.@end defopt